Testimonials
Sue Mark, Commons Archive & HEAR HERE Community Billboard creator and director:
“It just takes one person stepping forward to create space for everyone to come together. A neighbor recently took the leap of faith to organize a small block party with the HEAR HERE Community Billboard. Neighbors on the block hadn’t seen each other in so long, and some neighbors met each other for the first time. There was a sense of re-awakening after COVID’s prolonged isolation.”
Terri Woodfolk-Nelson, longtime North Oakland neighbor:
“The HEAR/HERE truck is all about promoting strong, inclusive and safe communities in Oakland, and we desperately need more of them! Strong communities are essential to the well-being of children, families, individuals and society at large. The HEAR/HERE truck and team is taking an active and fun approach in helping this cause by helping to organize events in various neighborhoods in Oakland.”
Mashiki Mosley, HEAR HERE Community Billboard engager and local activist:
“They don’t know their neighbors. They’re in their house, they’re scared. I think a better way to be safer and to feel more comfortable in the world is by building a sense of community.”
“We need people to bring up our problems and our struggles. We’re asking people a question,like, hey, how do you want to feel safer in your community? Most people have the same exact answers, but they’re never talking to each other. Nobody’s asking what we’re going through.”
“The goal is to take our generation’s stories to the future so they’re never lost.”
Dr. Susie Wise, Design for Belonging, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“The kind of conversations that the Community Billboard provokes, empowers, enables, are person to person, they’re neighbor to neighbor conversations. They touch on all of the biggest issues of our city and our time: about race relations, about gentrification---they’re about what we need in a contemporary city to be able to live together.”
“It’s helping to support this neighborhood, the intersecting histories---the remembering, the noticing, the storytelling about what this neighborhood is all about, where it’s been, and the potential for those historical pieces to be part of its future.”
“The HEAR HERE Community Billboard truck is a neighborhood activation vehicle. The art of the Community Billboard is really about participating in our neighborhood - We need to build powerful community-based culture on a daily basis.”
Shikira Porter, Neighbors 4 Racial Justice leader, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“It’s so much about centering the voices of Black and Brown families who have been here for so long, that are the roots of this growing city. Yet their stories, and their inputs and wisdom have been pushed to the margins, ignored and hidden away.”
“It’s going to take a community to survive what’s coming.”
Sean Dickerson, archivist, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“I think community archives represent the truest nature and the truest intent of collecting stories,and seeing these stories as alive rather than a kid of stale or foreclosed historical artifact.”
David Peters, Black Liberation Walking Tour creator, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“The fabric of my particular block in the neighborhood was ripped and has been frayed.”
“The Community Billboard truck doesn’t have an agenda. It’s for the community to use in an authentic way.”
Dr Saturu Ned, Black Panther Party original member, director of the Black Panther Alumni Legacy Network, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“How do we reconnect the community? The formula has been lost for decades, so the idea was to try something new. And the concept was based on how the Black Panther Party always worked in the community. We followed the process of observation, participation, study to land on something new that has an impact.
This is re-formulizing how human beings converse with one another, how communities start depending on one another. We’re finding that people are very hungry for that human contact.”
Debra Israel, Neighbors 4 Racial Justice leader, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“There’s a rich history of Black families in North Oakland---at least over the last 10 years, there’s a lot of loss of those Black families. Seeing the tension that exists on those blocks, the lack of communication. It’s intense and really painful, these difficult conversations on social media.”
Shawn Granberry, HipHop TV CEO, HEAR HERE strategic partner:
“The Community Billboard truck is really bringing people together, so it’s serving a serious need that we have here in Oakland: this is crime prevention, it’s a way to build neighborhood associations. We need to multiply the HEAR HERE project over and over again, to have the success that we need. It’s the future happiness of this incredible city.”
“One of the main goals of The Storefront Market is to bring our community together and allow people a space to eat, meet, and greet. The goal of the HEAR/HERE truck goes hand in hand with our values. It was amazing to see your canvassers going around and engaging so many people. It was also encouraging to see how many people were actually willing to engage and answer some of the prompts as well as provide some off script thoughts and ideas.
When you're helping and engaging with your community you're simultaneously helping that community and yourself. Often, when someone is being asked a question or being directed to answer a prompt, it's difficult to not feel pressured to answer the prompt in a specific, calculated way. With the HEAR/HERE truck there is no wrong answer.
Everyone's thoughts and comments are appreciated and valued. The HEAR/HERE Community Billboard is providing a necessary service in Oakland. While yes, many communities are strong, many members are beginning to drift away from each other, especially the young and elderly and the new members and longtime members. Creating a constructive dialogue between these groups is essential if we intend to create connected communities!”
— Gabriel Turek, Storefront Records
“The Hear Here Community Billboard truck was a wonderful example of service to be able to bring to our club. The truck was a fantastic way for our members to be able to really get creative with how we could serve our community.
The bright and colorful truck with the LED screen and music was very attractive to our members, especially the younger ones. I highly recommend the Hear Here Truck for a tangible, personal example of bringing the community together and providing community service.”
— Valerie Leui, Emeryville’s 4 H Club parent leader
“In the face of rapid changes in our neighborhoods and a time of recovery from a global pandemic, it's more urgent than ever to learn about and honor the history of the land we live in and listen closely to the voices around us.
Connecting with one another is a human need, but in the digital age, it's become more difficult to do. The HEAR HERE Community Billboard truck creates a safe space and a fun way to connect with our neighbors. As an artist who wants to bridge my art practice with community engagement, having the HEAR HERE truck at our community event provided a platform for participants from different communities and backgrounds to stand on common ground.”
— Gabby Wen, sound artist & new neighbor, Redlining Re-Defined event organizer
“That ride was amazing. The experience sparked a lot of reflection on and appreciation of the 26+ years I've had in the area. We finally got to talk with people that have seen us pass by so many times. Cycling between the potlucks was a very different kind of homecoming. Taking to the streets with a posse of cyclists feels natural for me, in a way. What a gift to share that with my son! He was having a blast on our tandem. The Hear Here project is now a part of our neighborhood story. Thank you for that!”
Josh Berstrom, longtime neighbor, National Night for Safety & Liberation